Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers: Odyssey #5 Review

The first mini-series of Z-Girl has come to an end. While I anxiously await for the next one, I’d like to take a second to talk about the finale of this creative comic that is not perfect but has many enjoyable moments.
The world may be coming to an end as Z is turned by evil forces. It’s up to the four tigers to save the world. But will they have to kill their teammate and friend Z in order to do it?
After a four issue build-up this issue needed to deliver a lot and it did… for the most part, though there is still something left to be desired. The tension is high in this issue, and you really feel for the Tigers, who may have to kill their friend in order to survive. It makes the final scene much more dramatic. The stakes are amped up even higher thanks to a conversation in the Tiger’s base right before the final climactic battle. They are told the apocalyptic-level of deaths that could result in if they fail in terms of an astounding estimation of 50% of the population dead in a day and 75% dead in two days. Though it's hard to visualize these numbers, it does heighten the stakes.
My favorite thing about the Tigers is their powers. Each member has a unique and memorable gift that makes for a great action scene in the final battle this issue. Blue Tiger has his monster drawings which come alive. White Tiger makes use of his inventions to take out dozens of zombies at a time. Black Tiger, a werewolf, can control his brethren. Z, the Yellow Tiger, is a zombie who learns a new technique with her weapon later on that is very reminiscent of a weapon featured in Guardians of the Galaxy. Red Tiger is a bit disappointing in comparison, an expert marksman.
I really wish there was more time given to developing these characters a bit more. I feel like I know very little about them other than their powers and face value personalities, all of which I enjoy, but I crave more. Z-Girl’s origins are expanded a bit more in this issue but they leave more questions than answers. This is one of the many reasons I want there to be another series of Z-Girl and the Four Tigers (with even more emphasis on the four tigers). Another big reason is the great cliffhanger Marsick leaves us on with this issue. The last page is a powerful moment that will leave you wanting more.
There is also a reveal of the villain which was a nice little moment, but it could have been longer than a moment. He was only in this issue for a couple of pages and then left. This felt like a bit of a letdown since the tigers aren't even given the option to see him or fight him.
Kirk Manley usually does a good job drawing action sequences and this issue is no exception. However, one page felt like a waste. Red shows off some of her shooting skills and it takes up over nine boxes that cover a whole page. This was definitely way too much time to spend. His character designs continue to be unique. No two characters look alike and each has some distinctive and creative quality about them. One villain looked like Two-Face on steroids. The bright array of colors really seem to bring the pages alive. Some of the line work can look a bit clumsy, especially some of the close-up expressions of characters like Black Tiger in the page above, but overall I like the quality and many of the full page spreads don't feel like wastes of space but nice art pieces.
Overall, this series ended with not a big bang but a small pow. Still, this issue left me craving more and I hope Marsick and Manely come out with the next mini-series soon. It is one of the better indie mini-series out there. The characters are all intriguing and filled with potential. I just hope more time is devoted to them. If you are interested in learning more about how the mini-series is overall, check out my reviews of Z-Girl: Odyssey #1, Z-Girl: Odyssey #2, Z-Girl: Odyssey #3 and Z-Girl: Odyssey #4.

Rating

6.7

Pros

Awesome power sets

Great final fight scene

Characters each feel distinct in both personality and design

Cliffhanger leaves readers wanting more

Cons

Could have made more of a bang for your buck

Artwork went to waste in some spots

Comments

Meet the Author

An all-around nerdette, I’m a comic book connoisseur, horror aficionado, video game addict, anime enthusiast and an aspiring novelist/comic book writer. I am the head of the comic book department and the editor-in-chief of Entertainment Fuse. I also write and edit articles for Comic Frontline. I am also an intern at Action Lab Entertainment, a comic book publisher at which I edit comic book scripts, help work on images in solicitations and help with other comic book related project. My own personal website is comicmaven.com.